Anyone do cario for 1 hr many days a week???

I was wondering if those of you who do cardio for 1 hr almost every day take anything for joint pain or if you even get it? I upped my cardio to 1 hr, it's been a little over a month and all of a sudden my knees are screaming at me from all the motion in my joints. I need my cardio because I get stressed so easily. Any ideas or helpful tips? Thanks :)

What kind of cardio are you doing? I do an elliptical for 60+ mins 2-3 times a week and at least 35 mins 3-4 days a week. I can't run because of bad knees but walking is good but I really like the endorphin boost that the elliptical gives me. If your joints are bothering you, try changing the type of cardio you do. Try swimming if you belong to a gym that has a lap pool. Or other aquatic aerobic cardio exercise.

My issue now is achy hands from lifting heavier weights. I am going to purchase some gloves in the hope that it will alleviate the stress on my poor 49-year-old hands.

Try changing up your cardio routine and see if that helps. Good luck and keep on keeping on.

I also do elliptical training. I change it up with inclined walking. If I run, my knees really begin to hurt, so I stick to elliptical and walking.

Ooh... knee pain is NOT a good thing. 

If your having pain, one or more of the following is happening:

a) Your shoes have worn out, no longer giving you the support you need. FIX- Get FITTED and buy new shoes.

b) Your spine/hips are out of allignment, putting extra pressure on certain body parts. FIX: See a chiropractor.

c) Your body's being broken down, and needs a rest/more calories. FIX: Take a break and maybe increase, depending on whether the break helps or not.

Most likely, it's one of those (probably "c"), but it can easily be all 3! 

My shoes should still have some life left in them.

I don't think my hips/spine is out of allignment, or I'd be walking funny(?)

It's probably c, as you said. I've just recently increased my calories after many, many months of not eating well, but I would like to think my body only 22 yrs old can handle such cardio. :( But bad knees runs in my family, so I fear that it shall forever be a problem

Look at the Runner's World website for articles to see if your shoes are good or not... they explain it better than I can.

You wouldn't necessarily be walking funny. Most people are out of alignment, and don't realize it- but it can affect other body parts. I'm 15 and see a chiropractor every 2 weeks to readjust my spine (stupid 20 lb back pack throws it off a lot).

If you're eating right, then your body should be able to handle 7 hours of cardio- building up to it of course- a week. Maybe not spread out over 7 days though. It's actually better to do slightly over an hour 6 days a week (equalling 7 hours a week) than 1 hour 7 days a week. That way, your body gets 24 hours of rest from cardio, where it can repair itself.

Genetics can also play a role too...

Ugh that sucks about the backpack... when I was 15 I was always worried about all those books in my backpack and lugging it around every where... so annoying...

But thanks for all the helpfulness :)

I do the elliptical for an hour everyday, sometimes I'll skip one day. Back when we first got it in '07 and I was kind of crazy, then... I would do 2 hours (an hour in the morning and then again in the evening). I never had any pain, though.

yep i do at least an hour a day up to 75 mins if its not a lifting day, 6 days a week. the key for me at least is changing it up. First, I'd run, cause I'm training for a half marathon, I'd finish my mileage and then do the rest of the hour on an elliptical, stairstepper, stair master or bike. Now I can't run cause of shin splints for a bit, but i like to switch machines about every 20 mins. It keeps your body guessing and I dont' get bored so easily that way. Sometimes though if i have a magazine and im in the zone i'll do like 45 mins and 15 mins on another machine.

If you are doing the same thing day after day that is not good. Mix it up. 40 minutes  a day is plenty. Do you strength train? Building muscle will help. If you add 3 days a week 40-60 minutes with heavy hard lifting you will see some real results. If you are lifting correctly it gets your heart rate up similar to cardio. If you add HIIT a few day a week in-place of the steady state you can shorten your workout time to 20-30 minutes depending on the type of HIIT.

Are you stretching and getting enough rest? Drinking enough water?

I've been running at least 1 1/2 hours every day for the last year and did go thru a period with knee pain last Nov - Dec.  It turned out to be due to the shoes.  Not sure how old your are but you should look to change them after 300 miles minimum.  I also saw the doctor for the pain and he suggested taking Glucosamine Chondroitin a dietary supplement that helps support cartilage and joint functions.  Since switching shoes and taking the supplement the pain has gone and running the running is going great.  

Original Post by meowphotog:

My shoes should still have some life left in them.

I don't think my hips/spine is out of allignment, or I'd be walking funny(?)

It's probably c, as you said. I've just recently increased my calories after many, many months of not eating well, but I would like to think my body only 22 yrs old can handle such cardio. :( But bad knees runs in my family, so I fear that it shall forever be a problem

 your hips and spine could be misaligned and you wouldn't be walking funny.  i went to the chiropractor recently because of some neck pain i was having and i found out that my hips are off by about 1/4 inch.  i run almost everyday and didn't feel it.  one of my legs is longer than the other by enough length to notice it when i sit down because that hip isn't exactly where it's supposed to be.

I'm 22 yrs old. I love to run if I get into it, but after a week of running, even if I alternate between running and elliptical, my knees just DIE. I also do heavy lifting for 1 hr 4-5 days a week. I have really strong legs, but for some reason my muscles begin to hurt really bad if I try to push them on the elliptical and then my knees just scream. For example, if I set the elliptical on Hills at level 10, on those really high points I can't go beyond 4 mph without feeling like my knees might crack right off.

I was also suggested to take Gluscosemine, but it's expensive and I'm still in college, not making very much(wish I was......) so I don't think I can afford it. I also drink 2 gallons of organic fat free milk a week. If I don't I get joint pain and calcium deposits in my nails.

This may sound silly but I'm not into Chiropractors... I'm afraid that I'll go once and then like some rumors I've heard, I'll just have to keep going back.

I have New Balance Running shoes that aren't even a year old.

I am 50 years old and do cardio 5 times a week, from 24 minutes to 70 minutes. I run when the weather permits and walk on the treadmill when it doesn't.

I occasionally have minor knee pain, which my doctor tells me is to be expected at my age. As long as it is only occasional (a few times a month) then he told me not to worry.

My recommendation to you is get running shoes. Good ones. And replace them when they start to wear. I have gone through a pair of Nike runnng shoes (worked well for my feet/stride), Avia (which I endured for 4 months before tossing in the trash) and Adidas (current shoes, working great for me) in two years. If you have had your New Balance a year, and put in an hour almost every day, they probably need to be replaced. Find a pair that works for you, and change.

I have a good friend who uses an elliptical for his cardio, 12 minutes 4 times a week (mostly he does weights). His knees hurt a lot too, and he tells me he cannot understand why my knees don't hurt all the time with all the running I do.

My recommendation is to get off the equipment every chance you get and run/walk outside, but break into it slowly, sidewalks are really hard on the knees until you build yourself up.

My father in law is a neurologist.  He says every patient he has who has seen a chiropractor is suffering from it (he specializes in the spine).  I would recommend staying away from them.

My father was a radiologist.  It's been a few years since he passed away, but he thought chiropractors were all quacks. 

I would MUCH rather see a orthopedic doctor for a bone/joint problem, and/or a neurologist for a spinal problem.  They aren't trying to get you to come back every 2 weeks for the rest of your life.  They will get your problem fixed if possible and send you to PT to learn how to strengthen your body so that the problems don't recur or are at least minimized. 

Chiropractors thrive on repeat business, so it's not in their best interests to actually address your problems.  They just do a temporary fix to alleviate the current discomfort and hope it comes back in a few days so you will make another appt. 

I'm NOT saying they are all like that, but I think a vast majority of them are.

l also do the elliptical and treadmill for 75mins or more anywhere from 3 to 5days a week, and l dont get any knee pain. My legs threaten to give out though if l run for longer than 10mins on the treadmill though.

i do a lot of cardio.  i'm a rower, so i spend about an hour on the rowing machines in the morning and then either do a cardio lift circuit, power yoga, or run later in the day.  i have really bad knees that get sore from running definitely and sometimes from the erg.  i do some PT exercises to target the muscles around my knees and that helps a lot!  if you're at school you might have access to a physical therapist or athletic trainer, be sure to check.  also, be sure to ice afterwards and heat beforehand, it will alleviate pain significantly.

What are PT exercises?? Can I find them online?

I go to Art School the only atheltics we have here are running up and down stairs to be on time to class... no therapists or athletic specialists. Just artsy people

Original Post by meowphotog:

What are PT exercises?? Can I find them online?

I go to Art School the only atheltics we have here are running up and down stairs to be on time to class... no therapists or athletic specialists. Just artsy people

Muscles do a lot to help support your joints.  When the muscles are weak, they don't support the joint correctly and can cause pain/problems.  A PT will evaluate your situation and give you exercises to do to strenghten those muscles. 

I would also agree to stay away from the chiro...  From my understanding, all they do is spinal manipulations and don't do anything to address/correct the underlying problem. 

if your knees are hurting that bad then you should really back off that exercise.  Pain is your bodies way of telling you something is wrong.  Listen to it and find something else to do that doesn't hurt you.  See a doctor.  I developed arthritis when I was 10 and running is out of the question for me.